The discovery could lay the groundwork for new approaches to using mushrooms to process plastic waste.
A group of biologists from Sri Lanka has discovered that some types of mushrooms decomposing hardwood trees can also degrade some polymers such as polyethylene. This is reported by a study published on the portal Phys.org. The work began when one of the scientists noticed that various types of fungi are capable of degrading trees in a forest reserve. Some are known to be able to break down lignin, a strong polymer found in wood. Molecular and plant biologists from Kelaniya University and Peradeniya University tested 21 species of hardwood rot fungi, according to the study published in the PLOS ONE magazine.
Experts have determined that mushrooms can consume these compounds with the help of enzymes. Next, the authors decided to check if they can also take down i artificial polymers. For the experiment they put plastic sheets in glasses with mushrooms and plastic and wood in others. All containers were maintained at a temperature of 28°C-30°C for 45 days. Since that time, each of the jars has been studied using a simple method with a balance: as fungi decompose the wood, the lignin is transformed into carbon dioxide, which is released into the air, lightening its weight. The team found that all kinds of mushrooms decomposed the plastic sheet. They also found that the ‘Phlebiopsis flavidoalba’ mushroom outperformed other species in showing the highest percentage of weight loss. The discovery could lay the groundwork for new approaches to using mushrooms to process plastic waste.